


The Old Earth Tradition

by svrbug



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 15:43:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17347961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/svrbug/pseuds/svrbug
Summary: This is the New Year fic but it's a week late because they're on another planet.





	The Old Earth Tradition

Emma jostled about among the sweaty bodies grinding and jiggling to the loud music that was currently blaring in the room. She pushed and get pushed trying to get her way across the dance floor to the other side of the room. The night was still early with a few more hours till the midnight celebration, but Emma could see more than half of the attendance were already drunk out of their mind.

 

When she finally stumbled into a deserted balcony, she gave a loud exhaled, then took a deep breath of the fresh air. Another new year was dawning upon her and she still have no idea where her life would bring her. This party was a blow. It was not as fun as her work friends told her all week. An enclosed space with sweating bodies and eardrum splitting music was not how she imagined spending time on her last night before the new year. Now, Emma regretted not staying at home and watched the midnight firework from the old monitor that she dig out from the garbage dump. The loneliness at home felt a lot better than the loneliness she felt right now among the strangers.

 

She looked up at the sky. At the Moon X and Moon Y so large and so imposing floating in the night sky. She looked up with a longing look, wanting to escape into the darkness and find a new home among the starts. She didn’t belong here, that much she knew.

 

“I don’t want to attend mother’s party, daddy. I have no friends there,” an irritated voice raised above the music when the door behind Emma opened. A girl in black jacket and black jeans emerged with a phone on her ear. She listened to the phone with an eyeroll and went to leaned to the balcony railing not far from where Emma was. The girl did not seem to notice Emma and continue to argue to the other person on the other side of the phone.

 

Emma was captivated. The girl was beautiful and even in the dimmed light of the balcony, she can trace her beautiful face, her expressive eyes, her full lips, and is that a scar just above her lips?

 

“I’m not going to stand around smiling like an idiot just to appeased her friends,” she said sounding defeated.

 

“Daddy, I don’t care. I will come back when this party is over. My friends are all here anyway.” She ended the call with a huff and hastily turn off the phone with a winning smirk. Then, she flipped her hair back and saw Emma staring at her. She blushed and give a small smile, "Parents."

 

Emma blinked when she realized that the brunette was talking to her. "I guess," she finally answered in a whisper. The brunette tilt her head at Emma's response but Emma swiftly turn back into the sky looking at nothing.

 

After a while, she felt the brunette stepped closer to the railing and leaned against it. Emma fought the urge to looked at brunette and pretend to stare at the speck in the distance.

 

"Some party, huh?" Emma was startled from her musing. She looked at the beautiful brunette beside her but she was looking out into the sky, a small smile on her face. She realized how close the brunette was standing to her and she froze.

 

The girl turned to looked at her when there was no answer. At the questioning gaze, Emma released a nervous chuckle. She saw her hands were gripping the railing in a tight grip and exhaled at feeling and acting like an idiot.

 

"It wasn't as fun as I thought it was," she said. Congratulating herself for not sounding as nervous as she really felt.

 

"Yeah. I don't know why I'm here either."

 

"Aren't you with your friends?"

 

The girl sighed, "I lost them the minute we arrived. I don't think they intend to hang out with me anyway. What about you?"

 

Emma chuckled, "I'm actually crashing this party. Just curious. But now I'm regretting it." They fell into another silent.

 

"Why you don't want to go to your father's party?"

 

"It's my mother's party actually. It's a party for old people. I have been enduring those for years. Now that I am old enough I said no more. But my father said my mother was furious. I don't care. I'm not going to stand around bored out of my mind."

 

Emma frowned not knowing what to reply to that. She has no parents so she had no idea what to expect or expected of her.

 

"Regina."

 

"Huh?"

 

"My name. It's Regina."

 

"Oh. Emma," she smiled sheepishly.

 

Regina stared at the blonde making her sweat nervously. Then, "Do you want to go out of here?"

 

"Oh please. Yes." Emma answered enthusiastically. Regina smiled brilliantly and take Emma's hands and drag her out of the party. When they arrived at Emma's bike, Regina hesitated and looked at the vehicle suspiciously.

 

"So where are we going?"

 

"I have no idea."

 

Emma watched Regina's face contemplating whether it is a good idea or not to suggest her idea. Regina looked up and saw Emma's frown and asked, "What?"

 

"Do you like ships?"

 

"I do," Regina answered carefully. "Why?"

 

"Do you want to hang out in one?"

 

Regina arched her eyebrow, "You have a ship?" And swept her eyes along Emma's body like she couldn't believe it.

 

Emma laughed, "It's not mine. If you want, we can go there." At Regina's silence, she hastily added, "I mean, only if you want of course. We could go anywhere you want. I hear they make a bonfire at the beach somewhere. Maybe we could go to that instead"

 

Regina put her hand on Emma's forearm to stop her rambling. She smiled sincerely and said, "Of course, I'd rather hang out on the ship instead of on the beach with drunk people." She eyeroll and continue her suspicious inspection on Emma's bike.

 

"Never been on one?" Emma asked while straddling her bike and revved the engine to show off to the brunette.

 

Regina shook her head.

 

"You're not afraid are you?" At that Regina's eyes lit up with renewed determination. She tilt her head and hopped on. Emma chuckled. She revved the engine one more time and felt Regina tightened her grip around her waist.

 

\----

 

"And here is the bridge," Emma announced with a flourish and plopped down on the Captain's seat. "Where the real action really is. And one day I'm going to own my own ship. And I'm going to be a Captain," she said confidently and proceed to act out whatever it is a Captain do while on the bridge. Swiping the monitor and spouting gibberish that she thought sounded like naval language.

 

Regina laughed out loud and rolled her eyes at Emma's antic. She looked around in awe, hand touching the surface of the control in reverence. Emma watched the brunette explore the big control room, touching and gliding her hand, sometime squinting at the label on the console.

 

They had arrived at the dock and had to sneak past the guard who fortunately was on the way to passed out drunk. When Regina saw the massive seven floor cruise ship, Emma watched her mouth dropped with glee. _This is the best idea ever._

 

Emma had explained that the cruise ship has been in repair for 3 years. They had been renovating and upgrading the entire ship to keep up with the competitor. It is almost complete but a few minor interior renovation. When Regina asked, Emma explained that she had worked as a mechanic of a smaller ship but sometime her boss lent her out to help with this one. Tonight there was nobody working for the holiday. However they kept the lights on anyway for the morning crew.

 

They had started from the bottom floor of the ship, Emma showed off her knowledge on the engine and various technology. Regina had smiled and nodded along with the excited blonde.

 

When they arrived at the upper floor where the passenger resided, they peeked into one of the VIP's room. The room was lavishly decorated. Emma jumped into the bed. Regina claimed how weird it was to be in an empty ship. _Like a ghost ship_ , she said. Emma gave a nervous laugh and started to walk closer to the brunette. Regina looked at her knowingly and chuckled.

 

Emma grabbed some food packets she found, leftover from the worker and put them in a backpack she found. Regina watched questioningly but Emma just winked at her, saying that its for later.

 

And now, while Emma was watching Regina walked around the deck, she couldn't help thinking that she had been very lucky tonight. Maybe crashing that lame party paid well after all.

 

"I've never been in the bridge before. This is so cool."

 

"I'm glad you like it." Emma said proudly.

 

Regina stood in front the Captain's chair and regarded Emma with inquisitive eyes. "I can see it," she said, "Captain Emma Swan. Commanding the fastest and greatest ship ever known to man. Flying bravely to where no man has gone before."

 

Her statement made Emma grinned. Emma began to think that she really like this girl. They kept on staring into each other eyes until they were broken by a continuous beep of Emma's watch.

 

"Oh we have another place to be," Emma stood hurriedly and grabbed the backpack in one hand and Regina's hand in another.

 

"Where are we going?" Regina asked confused but follow nevertheless. They went up the work ladder hidden behind a panel in the ship's wall. Emma grunted when she opened the hatch and climbed out. Regina followed suit. When she peeked out, he jaw dropped. Emma had brought them to the outside of the topside of the cruise ship. The ship was so massive that the topside was really flat out.

 

Emma hurriedly put down a blanket for them to sit. Then she arranged a choice of candy bars and a few bottles of beer that she snagged. She looked up at Regina when the brunette was still standing.

 

"Come. Sit."

 

They ate for a while and talked about everything. Emma never felt so comfortable talking to a stranger before. Not for one who she has only met a few hours prior. But Regina made it so easy somehow.

 

Regina told her about her strict mother and that she wanted to be a medical officer someday. She doesn't know if she wanted to work in a ship but she might have to to escape her mother.

 

And Emma told her stories where she was an orphan, has been living alone since but a Captain of a trade ship had found her and adopted her. Made her work and learned her way around a ship. Since then she had been following the Captain around the quadrant, waiting for her 17th birthday to enrolled into Command school. Since last year, she has been stranded here in Metropolitan working odd jobs to gather enough money for the school. The Captain had been stranded when the ship was involved in an unfortunate battle with a pirate ship. The ship had since been fixed but the Captain was reluctant to fly out.

 

Then, Emma regaled the tale of them fighting with the pirate. She didn't really actively involved but she stood in the bridge beside The Captain, watching him command the ship to victory.

 

Regina sat in awe, looking at Emma and cannot believe that she had seen so much in her short years.

 

"Is that why you want to be a Captain? To fight pirates?"

 

"Well not really. But I also want to protect the sky you know. Make sure it is safe. Killing the pirate is just a bonus," She grinned wickedly.

 

Regina make a toast with her bottle of beer. "Well then, thank you Captain Swan, in advance. For making our sky safe from them pirates." They clinked their bottles and took a drink.

 

Emma's watch once again beeping.

 

"Three minutes."

 

Regina looked at her questioningly.

 

"Three minutes to midnight. They're going to fire the fireworks at the tall building over there. A tradition from the Old Earth, right? Celebrating a new year with a bang"

 

Regina nodded. She sipped her beer casually, "There is another tradition for a new year from the Old Earth."

 

"Yeah? What is it?"

 

"A midnight kiss."

 

"Oh," Emma cleared her throat harshly. "Never heard of that before."

 

"Hmm. They said a kiss at a stroke of midnight can prevent us from being lonely for years to come. With the right person of course."

 

"Of course." Emma parroted distractedly. _Is she giving me a hint or is this just a fact that she is spouting?_ _Does she really want to kiss me? Or are we just having a conversation._ Emma couldn't tell.

 

Regina watched Emma's face warring with emotions. She bit her lips to avoid from laughing.

 

_Do I want to kiss her?_ Emma thinks to herself. _Idiot, of course you want to kiss her!_ Emma inhaled a sharp breath and turned her head to looked at Regina but she was looking ahead when suddenly the firework started.

 

She looks so beautiful. Regina's face was so pretty when the lights from the fireworks playing on her face and in her eyes.

 

_Too late, I guess. A stroke of midnight is over._

 

Emma turned to watch the fireworks but a hand was suddenly on her cheek. She then found herself staring into the deep brown eyes. Regina leaned forward and Emma closed her eyes.

 

When their lips touched, Emma felt there is another play of fireworks inside of her. It wasn't a chaste kiss but it wasn't long enough to make them lost their breath either.

 

When they parted, Emma saw Regina was smiling and the only thing she could think was _Wow!_

 

"Yeah. Wow." Regina chuckled. Apparently she said that out loud. They continue to stare into each other eyes for along while. Emma's mind was blank except that she really really like this girl.

 

When finally the fireworks display stopped and the only light illuminating them were the moons and the artificial lights from the ship, Regina started to pack their leftover food into the backpack. Emma was left dumbfounded. She really wanted to kiss this girl again. But apparently she had enough already.

 

Regina ushered Emma to stand up to fold the blanket. "It's getting cold up here. We should get inside and get warm."

 

Regina stood in front of the blonde, one hand holding the backpack and another hand on Emma's chest.

 

"Captain, do you want to make out in the captain chair?"

 

Emma's eyes widened at the flirty tone of the brunette. Regina was smirking at her. Sexily.

 

"And maybe then you can show me the Captain's quarters." She arched her eyebrow, the implication of the statement obvious.

 

"I.." Emma whispered stupidly. _I think I'm in love_.

 

Regina gave her a chaste kiss, turned around and headed back to the hatch. She called out from her shoulder, "Are you coming Captain?"

 

Emma blinked out of her stupor and follow the brunette to her heaven.


End file.
